


Football and Bruises

by storm_8



Series: Joys of Motherhood [21]
Category: Women's Murder Club (TV)
Genre: F/F, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-17
Updated: 2013-06-17
Packaged: 2017-12-15 07:44:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/847043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storm_8/pseuds/storm_8
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cindy and Ashley play football, inflicting bruises on unsuspecting passersby.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Football and Bruises

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own the show or its characters. I merely borrow them for everyone's enjoyment.  
> I do own the original characters: I am quite fond of them!  
> All mistakes are mine.
> 
> Takes place after the events in "Chaos and Squirrels Abound", "Crazy Relatives" and "Girlfriend".

Lindsay glanced at the redhead bouncing happily at her side, eating a mint ice cream and grinning widely. “You’re in a very good mood today…” She commented casually, biting into her own ice cream.

 

Lily’s grin got impossibly wider and she threaded her free arm through her mother’s. “So you’re saying I shouldn’t be in a good mood when spending time with you?”

 

Lindsay chuckled and slid her arm across the girl’s shoulders. “Humm, I don’t know…” She teased. “Wouldn’t you rather be playing football with your mother and sister, getting your clothes dirty and giving yourself a million bruises, instead of spending time eating ice cream with old, grouchy me?”

 

The girl scowled at the mention of football and bruises, and then grinned up at her mother again. “No matter how old and grouchy you get, mom, better having to put up with that than being knocked over a hundred times because of a ball that isn’t even round… I mean, doesn’t that beat the whole purpose of it being a ‘ _ball_ ’? Isn’t the definition of ‘ball’ a round object that can be thrown or kicked around?”

 

Lindsay laughed at her daughter’s small rant. She was about to reply when Martha’s enthusiastic barking drew their attention towards the two players in the distance.

 

Lily and Lindsay watched as Cindy threw the football through the air. Ashley backed up a few steps from her position and then dashed to her right, catching the ball mid-air and diving towards the ground, breaking her fall by curling her body and rolling with the momentum. She’d barely gotten to her feet, triumphant smile on her face, when a grinning redhead reporter tackled her to the ground.

 

Lily turned to her brunette mother. “I really don’t get it. What is it with this sport?”

 

Lindsay had asked herself the same question many times. She shrugged her shoulders and concentrated on her melting ice cream, walking back to their picnic area.

 

******

 

One hand on her hip, the other absently rubbing at her pregnant belly, Jill stood at one of the many park entrances scanning the map suspiciously. Out of all the city parks in San Francisco, Lindsay had to pick the one that had a million entrances and an even bigger number of possible routes through it.

 

So absorbed in her map perusal, the attorney never heard Denise walking up to her. She _did_ notice when the woman jabbed a finger on an area of the map with lots of trees and a squirrel drawing.

 

“That’s where we’re supposed to go.” Denise stated flatly.

 

The blonde jumped at the sudden intrusion and huffed. Denise merely smirked and started walking, leaving a scowling Jill behind.

 

A few minutes and wrong turns later (Jill _insisted_ she knew where she was going) they finally spotted Lindsay and Lily sitting under a tree finishing their ice creams.

 

Jill grinned widely and, Denise’s scolding for nearly getting them lost completely forgotten, started forward. She hadn’t taken two steps, when a football came flying out of nowhere and hit her squarely in the head.

 

******

 

A very loud ‘AAARRRGHHH!!!’ had Lindsay reaching for her gun, even though she wasn’t carrying it, and looking around for the person in distress. She turned just in time to see Jill being hit by the football and Denise standing a few feet behind looking incredibly bewildered.

 

Lily burst out laughing at the scene, while Cindy and Ashley ran over, the former giggling and asking her friend if she and the baby were all right and the latter apologising profusely.

 

******

 

“It’s a good thing Cindy always insists on bringing a cooler whenever we come out for a picnic…” Lindsay commented, handing a pack of ice to Jill.

 

The attorney scowled and gingerly pressed the pack to the side of her head.

 

“I’m really sorry.” Ashley apologised again. Lily giggled.

 

“It’s alright Ash. I thought it was kind of funny…” Denise commented and then had to duck when Jill swiped an arm at her head.

 

Martha settled next to the miffed attorney and licked her free hand affectionately.

 

“Aww, see? Even Martha wants to kiss it all better…” Lily said and burst into another fit of giggles. Lindsay grinned widely. Denise smirked.

 

Jill stuck her tongue out at them. “Well, I can tell you that the baby seems to have enjoyed that as he’s now restlessly moving around…” At the uncertain look on Ashley’s features, she quickly reassured: “It’s fine. I’m fine, he’s fine, no harm done. Really.” She smiled at the girl, who sighed and then grinned back.

 

“You got a little football player there.” The redhead teen commented with a gentle pat to her aunt’s ever expanding belly. “Soon enough, you’ll have another player to join you and mom, Ash.”

 

The brunette’s grin turned into a small chuckle.

 

“Ashley!” Cindy yelled and waved the football in the air. The girl apologised once more and then ran off to continue the game with her mother.

 

******

 

“And then mom is looking at the phone like it’s about to jump up and bite her or something. I don’t know what they were saying on the other side to make her go completely ashen and wide-eyed, but I can imagine it involved Ash and Sam _not_ being asleep.” Lily grinned at her three-person audience.

 

If asked, Denise would deny until her dying day that she was listening to all this gossip about Ashley having a girlfriend, but the truth was, she was paying just as much as attention as Jill, who still held the pack of ice to her head. She just didn’t give any outward indication of being remotely interested; at least not like the blonde attorney, who looked like the cat that ate the canary.

 

Lindsay had already heard the same story a few times; even though the inspector had witnessed it all first hand, Lily still felt the need to tell it over and over, until her sister either growled and left the room blushing or smacked the redhead over the head with a pillow.

 

“And what has Ashley said to all of this?” Jill inquired, glancing over to where the girl in question was running after her laughing mother.

 

“She doesn’t say much honestly…” Lily replied, pensive look on her face.

 

“That’s because you won’t leave her alone!” Lindsay intervened, staring down at her daughter.

 

Lily just grinned sheepishly. “I just think it’s funny!” The girl defended. “She just blushes and mutters. And they are kinda cute together…”

 

Jill giggled and Lindsay rolled her eyes.

 

******

 

Cindy threw the ball high and watched as her daughter scuttled about into position to receive it. The girl dashed to her left and jumped to catch it. Only too late did Cindy realise she was in direct collision route with someone else. She called out but the collision was unavoidable and sent the two girls onto the ground in a tangle of limbs, curses and shrieks.

 

“Ahh, hell. That hurt!” Ashley complained rubbing a sore stop on her arm. She moved to sit up and then stopped. “Sam?”

 

The blonde girl was just as confused. She was lying on her back looking up at the person who’d inadvertently tackled her and landed on top of her.

 

“Hi. We really should stop meeting like this…” She greeted, putting a hand to her head.

 

Ashley grinned. “Hello. I…”

 

“Ash, are you girls alright?” Cindy called, jogging over.

 

Back at the picnic area, Jill, Denise, Lindsay and Lily watched the proceedings with great interest. Even Martha had raised her head from Jill’s lap to take in the situation.

 

“We’re fine, mom. I think…” The brunette teenager replied.

 

“Are you at least going to let the poor girl get up, or are you gonna keep pinning her to the ground??” Lily shouted, grinning mischievously.

 

“ _Lily_!” Lindsay clamped a hand over the girl’s mouth and shook her head in dismay.

 

Suddenly realizing she was still kind of straddling the other girl, Ashley’s eyes widened and she blushed. However, in her haste to get up, her legs somehow tangled with the other girl’s and she ended up flat on the ground again.

 

Lily and Jill started laughing. Sam giggled and Cindy smiled wide. Ashley groaned and closed her eyes; it was really not her day.

 

******

 

“So, what are you doing here at the park?” Ashley asked her companion, as they walked around, keeping some distance between themselves and the eavesdropping adults and Lily.

 

“I was bored. My dad is working today and mom is grading papers at home. ‘Sides the day is nice, so I figured I’d come and enjoy the sunshine. Didn’t know I was gonna get knocked over, though…” The girl explained, grinning.

 

“Sorry about that, I didn’t-”

 

“See where you were going, I know.” Sam finished for her. “At least now we’re even. I collided with you and you knocked me off my feet…”

 

Ashley laughed. “You make it sound like it was a good thing…”

 

Sam stopped and smiled slightly. The brunette stopped as well when she felt her arm being tugged back. She turned and looked at their joined hands, not having realised they had been walking about hand in hand.

 

“We wouldn’t have met if I hadn’t collided with you…” The blonde girl murmured, looking at their hands. She was also smiling.

 

Ashley opened her mouth to reply, when something behind the other girl caught her attention. She frowned, seeing her sister holding a camera pointed their way. The adults all smiled innocently and waved. Denise shook her head, indicating she had no part in what was going on, and returned to her book.

 

When Ashley’s expression changed, Sam glanced over her shoulder. She was then dragged away in the opposite direction. They only stopped when Ashley was sure they wouldn’t be gawked at by her crazy family.

 

“Those crazy, meddling…” Ashley mumbled, Samantha silencing her with a finger to her lips.

 

“Hey, it’s ok.” She leaned in closer and murmured conspiratorially. “At least your mother didn’t catch you making out with someone, who happens to be a girl, in her living room…” The blonde’s wide grin had Ashley chuckling.

 

They moved closer to the lake and leaned against the railings, watching the ducks swimming and quacking.

 

“Your mother wasn’t… mad, was she?” The brunette asked.

 

Sam smiled and laced her fingers with the other girl’s. “No, not mad…” She trailed off, eyes locking with Ashley’s.

 

“Hey…” The 16 year old murmured.

 

“Hi…” Sam responded, and closed the distance between them.

 

******

 

“They really are cute…” Jill commented, grinning cheekily.

 

“Did you see them holding hands?” Lily added, scooting closer to her aunt and starting on the gossip.

 

Lindsay sighed and Denise rolled her eyes. The inspector then passed a bottle of water to her lover, who took it gratefully and drank almost half of it in one go.

 

“It seems you’ve lost your star player…” Lindsay teased.

 

Cindy grinned. “I was dumped like a hot potato as soon as Ash set eyes on Sam…”

 

The brunette woman chuckled and set an arm around the redhead’s shoulders. “Aww poor you. But you’ve still got me. According to Lily, better old, grouchy me, than football and bruises.”

 

The reporter smiled and kissed her lover lovingly.

 

“I would agree with her.” She said when they separated. “But you’re not old. Grouchy, yes… Old, not yet…”

 

Lindsay scowled, but before she could start arguing Cindy kissed her again, effectively stopping any and all arguments.

 

******

 

“I was wondering…” Samantha started, but then leaned in again to kiss the other girl briefly. “On Friday, do you want to go watch a movie and then maybe stay over?”

 

“Are you asking me out for your birthday?” Ashley asked.

 

The other girl’s eyes narrowed in amusement. “What? It’s my birthday! I get to do what I want.” She poked the brunette’s shoulder. “And you can’t say no to anything I ask for on my birthday. It’s the rules.”

 

“Oh, well if it’s the rules, I really can’t say no…” Ashley grinned mischievously. “I guess I’m supposed to pay as well, since it’s your birthday…” She got punched on the arm for her cheekiness.

 

“You’re a cheeky idiot, you know that?” The blonde huffed.

 

“But you must like me, cheeky idiocy and all, since you just asked-”

 

Samantha shut her up in the only way she could think to be effective; simply kiss Ashley into silence.

 

“Well, since we’re now settled on that subject, are you coming on Friday or not?” The older girl asked a few minutes later.

 

“Coming where?” Still a bit dazed, a confused look crossed the brunette’s face. “Oh, Friday…” Sam giggled. “Yeah, I’ll go with you on date…” Ashley drawled, earning a beautiful smile in return. “Just let me ask my moms about the staying over part…”

 

“Get a move on then, woman!” Sam ordered, playfully shoving the brunette away. “I need an answer, or I’ll ask someone else to stay over…”

 

Ashley gave a small salute “Yes, ma’am! Right away!” and then dashed away.

 

Sam took a moment to do a little victory dance and then followed after the departed girl.

**Author's Note:**

> Here is the list of the chronological order of the fics in this arch:
> 
> \- Chaos and Squirrels Abound  
> \- Crazy Relatives  
> \- Girlfriend  
> \- Not-yet-but-soon-to-be-girlfriend  
> \- Supportive Sisters and Overprotective Mothers  
> \- Football and Bruises  
> \- Sam's Birthday Present


End file.
